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How to Cancel Your Amazon Prime Membership (and Why You Should)

Here’s how to stop financially supporting a monopoly.

Welcome to CANCELED, Motherboard’s series of helpful guides on how to stop paying for the subscription services you probably signed up for years ago but don’t use (or feel guilty about using).

Amazon Prime can sometimes feel like a necessary evil. It has everything you could possibly want, and it can usually be at your door within a couple of days.

Because of its benefits, like free two-day shipping, streaming services, and delivered groceries, Amazon Prime operates at a loss. But it effectively keeps consumers locked into its monopoly of an ecosystem that has dangerous consequences. It has ties to the Department of Homeland Security (and therefore Immigration Customs and Enforcement), encourages a dangerous, racist surveillance state, and continues to have terrible labor practices, despite walkouts and protests.

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If you find yourself tired of financially supporting Amazon Prime’s despicable actions or if you’re done paying $119 a year for services you barely use (I personally use it twice a year to buy books for school), there is a way out.

Here’s how to cancel Amazon Prime as quickly and painlessly as possible:

  • First, sign into your Amazon account on your computer.
  • Click the “Account & Lists” tab on the top right for a drop-down menu. There, you should see two columns, one for lists and one for your account info. Click on “Your Prime Membership.”

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  • Once you’re on the membership page, you’ll see all the deals, promotions and benefits Amazon tells you have. (Mine suggested a $8.99 safety vest and a music subscription I will never use in my life). To the left, you should see three boxes: one with your plan information, payment method, and membership management. You’re gonna scroll down to the membership management box and click on “End Membership and Benefits.”

How to Cancel Prime

  • Amazon PrimeNow, Amazon will take you to the “Are you sure you want to end your membership?” page. Do not be fooled. Do not click on “Click here to see your offers,” “Remind Me later,” or “Keep My Benefits.” Select the button in the middle that says “End My Benefits.”

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  • You’re going to have verify twice that you want to cancel, but then that’s that. You’re in the clear. Here's what those screens look like:

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And here's what it looks like after you've finally succeeded:

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But don’t forget you’re eligible for a full refund if you never used any of the Amazon Prime benefits. This doesn’t count for folks who cancel during the free trial period.

Also, check if Amazon Prime manages any other subscriptions, because they will discontinue once your Prime membership is cancelled. And If you figure out that Prime really is a necessity for you, here’s how to get Amazon Prime for free.